Sunday, November 25, 2012

Japan 2nd Day - Kyoto Botanical Garden, Nishiki Market

One thing good about me and Les . . . we both have the same body clock. We are both energized and tired at about the same time. So, bright and early on our first morning in Japan we set out to Kyoto Station to catch the subway train about 8 stops northward to Kyoto Botanical Gardens in Kitayama.

Les fueled up with some hot cocoa from here first. I think I already had eaten a musubi for breakfast.

We knew ahead of time that we would be too early for the 9:00 am opening of the garden, but had planned to search for the Kamo River first anyway.

I loved the lighting right here. I had actually asked a lady who was walking her dog to take a picture of me and Leslie, but I look crappy in that photo so you get to see only this one that I took of Les.

Would you believe that before the trip while researching the area around the garden on Google Maps, I noticed someone crossing the river on these stepping stones? Isn't the Internet amazing??!! Only thing, it wasn't right around the corner as I thought, but a little bit further than I was expecting.

Still it was worth the hike, especially since Les was game for providing me with some action shots on the stones.

This brightly colored area was close to the entrance. We looked on a map that was provided to us and decided to head straight for the lake.

We knew that we were kinda in the right area when we saw this water mill.

There were quite a bit of other photographers around.

It was beauuutiful there.

After having our fill of the garden we hopped on the subway train again and headed back south to Nishiki Market for some food and shopping. We started off on the West end on Karasuma Dori. The market extends for about 8 blocks eastward.

Choke mochi crunch.

Half the fun of being in Japan was searching for and finding stuff that we had heard/read about . . . like this soy ice cream and freshly made soy doughnuts.

And these sashimi on a stick.

Les, I think this is the place you got that expensive konbu from.

Here is the east end of the market on Teramachi Dori.

This is a mailbox on Shijo Dori where we then walked further eastward toward Maruyama Park. Fronting the park is supposedly the best kyoto sushi in the world at Izuju Restaurant. By now you might know that the restaurant was closed that day and we never got to try it.

By then, I couldn't walk a step further so I hailed a cab to get us back to our hotel. It cost around $13 bucks. I told Les I woulda paid $50, I was so tired of walking. This magazine stand is unmanned outside of a store near our hotel. How cool is that yah!

After resting up for a little bit we headed back to Kyoto Station for dinner. Guess what . . . ramen again . . . at Ramen Alley this time!

They have this neat system where you pay for your meal outside at these machines. A ticket comes out which you give to the waitress.

Almost all of the eating places will immediately bring you some tea . . . but no water. Then after asking for water, they will bring it to you in tiny, itty bitty glasses. Me and Les are both guzzlers so we almost always gotta ask for more.

Here's my ramen. Leslie's one was kinda similar . . . but no egg. She no like egg yolks.

Beignets! That's what I was looking for!! Remember when I went to look at the counter and said they didn't have the donuts I wanted? That's what I was talking about! I guess you never heard me say beignet...I knew Randy and I ate it the last time we were there. Now I don't feel like i'm nuts.